Clock



May 1, 1945. L. PRINS l -z fi CLOCK Original Filed April 50, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet l L. PRINS- CLOCK May 1, 19.45.

Original Filed April 50, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 M m .M. W Mn f M nw \QN mu NW, u

Reissued May 1, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOCK I Leendert Prins, New York, N. Y. Original No. 2,248,l95,"dated July 8, 1941. Serial No. 140,040, April 30, 1937. Application for reissue June 14, 1944, Serial No. 540,233

4 Claims.

This invention relate to clocks, and the primary object is to provide a clock which embodies extremely simple and efficient means for supporting and driving the hands, which will not readily get out of order, and which may be readily and cheaply manufactured.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide what may be termed a "magic" clock, the purpose being to create the appearance and optical illusion that the hands of the clock, in moving about the dial, float quite'freely, without visible means of support.

In carrying out the above specific object of the present invention, I provide an opaque casing member provided with opposed front and rear openings, transparent members closing the said openings, the transparent member closin the rear opening being provided with a circular series of hour-designating numerals and constituting the dial, circular members respectively having the hour-hand and the minute-hand-applied thereto and movable therewith, means located within the casing member and supporting said circular members for rotation within the casing and with their faces between the said openings and transparent members, and means located within the casin operating to rotate said circular members at different speeds so that the hour-hand is caused to traverse the dial once every twelve hours and so that the minute-hand is caused to traverse the dial once every hour, the said casing member masking from view through the front opening and transparent member the means for supporting the circular members, the rotating means and the edges ofthe circular members, the major centralportions of said circular members viewable through the front opening and transparent member also being transparent, and said circular members and the hands carried thereby being devoid of visible support so that the hands appear to float quite freely.

More particularly, an object of the present invention is to provide a clock of the above kind which i extremely simple in construction and so constituted as to effectively carry outthe stated purposes of the invention.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a clock of the above kind in which the means for rotatably driving the hands provides for ready manual rotation of said hands for setting the clock.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel form, combination described, shown in-the accompanyin drawings and claimed,

In the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate similar parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view, partly broken away and in section, of a clock constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical section on line 22 of Figurel.

i ure 3 is an elevational view of the circular member forming part of the clock shown in Figures 1 and 2 which carries the hour-hand.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 of the circular member which carries theminute-hand.

Figure 5 is a view similar to'Figure 3 of amodified form of the circular member which carries 1, of a modified form of the present invention;

and t Figure 9 is a section on line 8-9 of Figure 8. Referring in detail of the drawings, the clock shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive includes an opaque casing member 5 provided with opposed front and rear openings 6 and I closed by transparent members 8 and 8. The transparent mem I her 8 closing the rear opening I is provided with the gears l6 and IT.

a circular series of hour designating numerals l0 and constitutes the dial of the clock.

Circular transparent member H- and I2, respectively having the hour-hand l3 and the minute-hand ll applied thereto and movable therewith, are located within the casing member 5 and supported for rotation within the latter by means of grooved wheels I5 rotatably mounted in the casing member 5 at the top and sides of the latter, and driving gears l6 and I! mounted in a hollow base l8 upon which the casing member 5 is mounted, the edges of the circular members II and I2 engaging in the grooves of the rollers 15 so as to be guided by the latter. lar member's II and 12 rest upon the gears l6 and I1 and are formed with peripheral teeth Ila and in respectively meshing with the teeth of The circular hand carand arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully rying members H and I: are located with their The circufaces between the openings I and I and the transparent members I and I, and means is located aimed in the base ll of the casing, including the gears l8 and H, to rotatably drive the circular members II and I2 at different speeds so that the hour-hand I! carried by the member II is caused to traverse the dial once every twelve hours, and so that the minute-hand I carried by the cir-" cular member I2 is caused to traverse the dial 1 once every hour. This driving means may consist of a suitable motor l8, preferably electric,

connected by a train of gearing with a driven gear 2| carried by a shaft 22 iournaled in the upper portion of a frame 22 arranged within the base member is of the casing and supporting the train of gears 20. Rotatably supported on the shaft 22 is a gear 24 meshing with the gear I! which drives thecircular member l'i carrying the hour-hand II, a driving connection being ii, the gears i8 and 28 and I1 and 28 being loosely mounted on a supporting shaft 20 mount ed at the top of frame 22 where the upper cas-' ing member I and base member is Join. The

gearing between motor II and circular member I II is such as to drive the latterat such a speed that the hour-hand II will traverse the dial once every twelve hours. It will also be seen that the circular member I2 is driven by way of gear 2|, gear 24, gear ii, gear 28, gear 21, gear 28a, gear 28, and gear l1, so that the minute-hand ll traverses the dial once every hour. In other words. the circular member I2 is driven so that it rotates twelve times to each complete revolution of member .I i. The base It maybe provided at the back with an inward offset or well 8! within which is disposed a knob 32 secured on the rear projecting end of tubular shaft 26. By turning the knob 22. the circular members if and i 2 may be rapidly rotated for setting the clock. In performing this operation, the gear 21 will drive the gear il through gear 28 while gear 28a will drive the gear i1 through gear 28, the gear 24 being rotated on shaft '22 freely relative to gear 2 I. This turning of gear 24 relativ to gear 2 l, with the latter gear remaining still, is allowed by means of the friction clutch 2t betweenthe gears 2| and 2!. As the knob 32 is located at the rear of base is and preferably arranged within the well Ii, it is not visible to any one observing the clock from the front. Even in the ordinary operation of the clock, the. knob 22 v will turn so slowly that its rotation may not be readily discerned.

It will be noted that the ,casing member I 'masks from view through the front opening I the edges of the circular members if and l2. As the maJor central portions of the circular v members ll and II which are viewable through the front opening '8 and transparent "member 8 are also transparent, the hands it and it are devoid of visible support so that they appear to float quite freely. The circular hand carrying members, as shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive,

preferably consist ofglass plates having the hands I: and u etched, painted, or secured thereto in any suitable manner. However, as

shown in Figures 5 and 8. these circular hand carrying members may consist of annular members or rings Ii and I2 provided with peripheral gear teeth lib andv l2b, and having the outerv terminals of the hands Ila and a connected thereto as at 22 and II, respectively. In either case, the maior central portions of the circular members which are viewable through the front opening of the casing member i are transparent,

and said circular members and the hands are apparently devoid of visible support so that the hands appear to float quite freely when the clock is in operation. The construction is extremely simple because there is no transparent plate atted in the casing between the transparent members 8 and .8 to form the dial, and there is no shaft-like member pivotally mounting the inner terminals of the hands.

The embodiment of Figures 8 and 9 includes an opaque casing member la closed at the back and having a front opening to closed by a trans parent member 8a.

Supported in the casing member In intermediate the back of the latter and the transparent member 8a is an opaque plate 8| having a central bearing 88 in which is iournaled a tubular shaft 21. Secured on tubular shaft 21 in front of plate 3! is a circularv member or disk lie carrying the minute-hand l3 and supported for rotation by means of grooved peripheral guiding wheels I la and a driving gear 24a which meshes directly with peripheral teeth lid of said circular member lie. The disk' He may be transparent and the plate It provided with a seriesof hour-designating numerals lta to constitute the dial, or the disk He may be opaque and the transparent member to provided with the numerals to constitute the dial. Freely Journaled in the tubular shaft 21 is a further shaft 28 having an hour-hand l4 secured on the forward end'thereof. Secured on the rear end of shaft 31 is a pinion ll meshing with a large gear 40 v.iournaled on a shaft 4| carried by plate 25 below shafts 31 and 3!. Rigid with gear 40 is a pinion l2 meshing with a large gear 42 secured on the rear end of shaft 28. The disk He is driven at the proper speed so that the minute-hand I2 is vcaused to traverse the dial once every hour, and

rotation is transmitted from disk llc to shaft 2! so that the hour-hand I4 is caused to traverse the dial once every twelve hours. The drivin means may be substantially likethat in Figures 1, 2 and 7 and including a driven gear 2lc connected with a motor through a train of gears 20a and carried by shaft 224:. The gear 24a is carried by a tubular shaft 26:: rotatably mounted on shaft 22a, and is operatlvely connected with gear 2ia by a friction clutch 28a. The casing has a base Ila provided at the back with a well lie within which is disposed a knob 22a secured on the rear end of tubular shaft 28a. By turning knob 32a, the disk He and hand "may be rotated for setting the clock, the gear 2: remaining stationary and the gear 24a turning relative to gear 2 id as allowed by clutch 25a.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction and operation, as well as the advantages of the present invention will be readily understood 1 and appreciated by those bly suited to carry out the stated purposes of the invention.

While I have illustrated specific embodiments of my invention, I do not intend to be limited to the details of construction illustrated but intend to claim my invention as broadly as-the state of the art and the scope of the appended claims permit.

What I claim as new is:

1. In a clock of the character low base having a top opening, a circular opaque casing member rigidly mounted directly on top of said base and provided with opposed front and rear openings, transparent members closing said openings, hour designating numeral on one of said transparent members, motatable circular members located within said casing member and formed with peripheral gear teeth, the, major central portions of said rotatable members being transparent, minute and hour hands rigid with said rotatable circular members, grooved guide wheels mounted within said casing member at the top and sides of the latter and receiving described, a hol-' the edges of said rotatable circular,members, and

means located in said base tatable circular members, said driving means including a horizontal upper portion of said base and driven spur gears mounted on said horizontal shaft and exposed through the top opening or said base to support said rotatable circular members and mesh with the peripheral teeth of the latter.

2. In a clock of the character described, a hollow opaque base having a top opening, a circular opaque casing member rigidly mounted directly on top of the opaque base and provided with opposed front and ent members closing nating indicia on one 01' said transparent members, rotatable circular members located within said opaque casing member and formed with peripheral gear teeth arranged within said opaque casing member and thereby masked from view, the major central portions of said rotatable members being transparent, a minute hand rigid with one of said rotatable circular members and an hour hand rigid with the other of said rotatable circular members, grooved guide wheels shatt mounted within the rear openings, transparsaid openings, time desigfor driving said romounted within said opaque casing member at the top and sides of the latter and receiving the edges of said rotatable circular members and means located in said base and masked thereby from view for driving said rotatable circular members, said driving means including a shaft mounted within the upper portion or the base and driven gears mounted on said shaft and extending from the base through the opening and with-- in the opaque casing member to support said circular members and mesh with the peripheral teeth thereon.

3. The clock of claim 2, said hour and minute hands on the transparent major central portions of said rotatable embers and extending thereon toward but not reaching the opaque casing member.

- 4. In a clock of the character described, a hollow opaque base having a top opening, a circular opaque casing-member rigidly mounted directly on top of the opaque base and provided with opposed front and rear openings, transparent members closing said openings, time designating indicia on one of the transparent members, rotatable circular members located within said opaque casing member and formed with peipheral gear teeth arranged within said opaque casing member and thereby masked from view, the major central portions of said rotatable members being transparent, a minute hand rigid with one of said rotatable circular members and an hour hand rigid with the other said rotatable circular members, guide means mounted within said opaque casing member and spaced from each other in the casing member, said guide means receiving the edges of said rotatable circular members and driving means for said rotatable circular members located in said base and masked thereby from'view, said driving means including a shaft mounted within the upper portion of the base and driven gears mounted on said shaft and extending from the base through the opening and within the opaque casing member to support said circular members and mesh with the peripheral teeth thereon. I

LEENDERT PRINS. 

